1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of panel support stakes, and has particular utility for use with flatbed trucks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are disclosed in the prior art various stakes to support panels on flatbed trucks. The Tuerk U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,354 discloses stakes having a hollow triangular shaped cross section with tapered bottom ends that fit into pocket brackets mounted to the periphery of the bed. Side panels are mounted to the bed, being supportably received by the stakes with T-shaped brackets integral therewith. Tarpaulin rods are secured to the hollow top ends of the stakes.
Carter, Jr., et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,224 also discloses a stake or post structure for use with a platform trailer bed. The posts include a pair of laterally open vertical grooves extending substantially from end to end of said posts to receive the panels, and a hollow leg which is illustrated as being substantially rectangular in cross section with a curved indentation along the wall of the hollow leg adjacent the grooves. The lower end of the posts is seatable in pockets and a plug is fixed in the upper end which includes a socket for detachably receiving the end of a tarpaulin bow.
Other patents generally relating to a sidewall assembly for a flat load bed including upstanding stakes seatable in pockets include Reader U.S. Pat. No. 3,097,880; Garson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,155,419; and Johnson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,684. The Turner U.S. Pat. No. 2,565,746 and the Owen U.S. Pat. No. 2,774,623 generally relate to supporting frames for truck body covers.